The State Government, while referring to a recent Supreme Court order has approached the Centre for universal coverage under the Food Security Act (FSA) provisions. The Department for Food and Civil Supplies in a high-level meeting on Tuesday prepared a proposal in this regard.
The proposal that is expected to be sent to the Centre formally by this week end cites a significant judgment of the apex court given in the light of drought condition prevailing in good part of the country.
“The Supreme Court in a judgment has asked the Centre to cover all persons under the National Food Security System. We are ready with a proposal in this regard. This would cover entire chunk of population in the State besides 2.64 crore persons covered under the FSA originally,” Saryu Roy, Minister for Food and Civil Supplies told The Pioneer on Tuesday.
Through the order pronounced last week in the petition filed by NGO Swaraj Abhiyan, the Supreme Court directed the Centre for the measure keeping in mind gravity of the food availability scenario besides, telling to appoint State food commissioners and district grievance redressal officers in the drought-hit States. Including Jharkhand, there are 11 other States that have been declared drought hit due to deficient monsoon witnessed in most part of the country.
Moreover, provisions of the FSA mandates the Centre to provide food security to 75 per cent population in rural and 50 per cent in urban areas while in Jharkhand the scale has already been raised covering 86.4 per cent in urban and 60.4 per cent in rural areas. Now the latest proposal in this regard would stretch the coverage to nearly 50 lakh additional people who were left out otherwise.
Special Secretary with the Department Ravi Ranjan said that the proposal is an extension of the Government’s idea which proposes to cover the entire populace residing in troubled and disturbed pockets in the State.
“We were working on complete coverage under FSA in naxal dens such as Saranda, Sarju and Jhumra from this year itself. But since the Supreme Court order came and when the entire State can be covered, we would look into those specific pockets next year,” said the official, adding that additional requirement of food grain and total number of people to be covered would be reached in couple of days and the figures would be shared with the Center to ensure the supply.
Along with that the Government is working hard to revive ‘grain banks’ in every panchayat in order to create a buffer in case of immediate grain shortage. “We have named it ‘Grain Gola’ which would keep 40 quintal of rice reserved to meet any short supply. The reserve would be revolving in nature which would be filled when allotment comes. We would seek rice from the Center for this as well and if denied we would maintain it from our own sources,” said the Minister stressing that a proposal in this regard would be brought before the Cabinet soon.
Notably as many as 22 districts of the State are reeling under intense drought which has exposed people to mass level migration and even hunger related disorders. The situation led to another recent order of the Supreme Court providing midday meals in all primary schools even during a month long summer vacation. Following the direction, the State Government has decided authorities to continue MDM in the break.